Toss of a Die
by RainbowExplosions
Summary: "It all started with business." Follows basic story of TFP, but new perspectives in the war and major plot change of Season 2. Contains a few OC's, no non-canon pairings. Focuses more on politics, character relationships, grey areas, and me trying to fill what I feel has been lacking lately. Adventures, friendships, battles, betrayals. Just give it a chance ;
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This chapter takes place in-between "Speed Metal" and "Sick Mind". Feedback would be greatly appreciated, both for content/characterization and for grammar. Chapter titles will come later.

* * *

As Jack made his way down the stairs and to the kitchen, he noticed the recently-familiar sound of the television. He and his mother had never been huge on watching tv; June always worked late nights it seemed, and Jack found other ways to occupy his time. Before he met the Autobots, he would tune up his bike, or work, or play the harmonica. Recently, with Raf and Miko, Jack found himself playing more videogames, but that would take place at the Autobot base or with Miko's host family, who owned a state-of-the-art television set in their basement.

As of late though, Jack had found his mom watching the same channel every morning and night. He didn't pay much attention to it, instead focusing on eating his breakfast without falling asleep, or thinking of an excuse to give his mom as to why he'd be out so late. He'd catch snippets of the program now and then, and gathered it was some talkshow, or something similar. He wanted to call it garbage, but decided to hope his mom would have better taste.

"_Professor Ross, please explain to us your inspiration for creating the Hepatitis A and B patch?"_

"_The improvement of medicine has two roads, sonny. The first is discovering the cures and making them accessible to the general population. That's the first step. But we can always continue to refine, find ways to make the medicine more potent, easier to administer, and more comfortable to receive treatment for. The patch is both a matter of comfort and safety. Most hospitals follow procedure for cleanliness and needle regulation, but some, especially ones in developing countries, won't or are unable to do so. The same needles are repeatedly used, spreading diseases. The patch works only once, reducing the risk of infections. And as a doctor, I've seen countless children, and even some adults, become terrified at the concept of a shot. What kind of doctor wouldn't try to make the process easier for their patient?"_

"You're seriously still watching this, Mom?" Jack asked as he poured a bowl of cereal. "What's it even about, anyways?"

"Well, usually it's an hour of nonsense, mostly debates about abortion or the necessity of certain types of immunizations."

"So what's got your interest now?"

June gave him a brief, appraising look before returning to her tea and newspaper. "They've been guest starring this new doctor lately, and he's become quite the talk in the world of science and medicine. I guess he was always a good scientist, but within the decade he's suddenly become very important."

"Sounds it. What good is searching for the cure for cancer when you can make Hep shots a bit less painful. Ow, hey!" he said surprised as his mom playfully threw her napkin at him.

"Coming from the boy who used to cry before we reached the office," she teased. "He did make the point that there are different levels of progress. He has done amazing things, Jack. Even our hospital has benefitted from it."

"Okay, I got it, respect the doctors. Speaking of work, how's your new patient?"

"Allison? Oh, she's doing fine. She's due for another check-up next week."

"She moved here pretty recently, right?" Jack glanced at the clock—Arcee would start getting edgy if he didn't hurry up.

"All the way from North Carolina. She's your age Jack; I was thinking maybe we could all get dinner next week. She lives pretty far away, but we could take her out to a restaurant near the hospital."

"Yeah, sure mom. Hey, I gotta get going. I promised Miko I'd help her with her Spanish homework. I dunno what we're doing after that, so I'll see you tonight?" Jack offered, praying that his mom wouldn't object, or find the words "Miko" and "homework" together in a sentence suspicious.

His prayers were answered. "Tell her I said hi, alright? And keep me updated, let me know if you decide to go anywhere."

"Yeah, I will, don't worry." Jack slung his backpack over his shoulder. "I'll see you later. Love you."

"I love you too honey," June called after him, smiling as the garage door shut behind him. "Be careful."

"What took you so long, Jack? I was about to get Ratchet on the line."

"Sorry Arcee, just talking to mom," Jack apologized as he put his helmet on. Arcee revved her engine as the garage door opened at the speed of a snail. "…we gotta get this door fixed."

"Tell me about it," Arcee replied before driving away. Jack sighed in relief to feel the air rushing past him, never feeling quite as free as did when he was driving with Arcee. They traveled in silence for a while, enjoying the spring morning, thoughts roaming to different places. Jack's mind lingered on school, which he thought stretched on as endlessly as the Nevada highways. Arcee's mind focused slightly more on the present, making sure she didn't run any stop signs or hit small animals. It was only until they were near the base that the motorcycle spoke up. "So, what excuse did you use this time?"

"I told mom I'd be helping Miko with her homework. I know, right?" he said as Arcee began to laugh. "I can probably say Miko overslept so I had to wait a while, and the homework was really hard. Maybe we went out to the movies afterwards too."

"You're going to need some better excuses Jack," Arcee said as the sides of the plateau began to shift, allowing them entrance, "if you're resorting to pretending that Miko does her homework."

"Tell me about it," Jack echoed, grinning and taking off his helmet as Arcee transformed. Arcee grinned back. "If you got any ideas, let me know."

"Ideas for what? Secret missions? Breaking into another exam? Street racing?"

"No, no, and especially no," Arcee said, striding past Miko, making her way to the main computer. "We learned our lesson about racing, didn't we Jack?"

"You don't have to remind me. The lecture we got from Optimus is fresh in my head."

_Wimp_, Miko called him, and the teasing commenced. No one minded sitting around the base and chatting for a while, especially since both Ratchet and Optimus were out on patrol. Without having to worry about Ratchet's admonishments or the general feeling of discomfort that their Prime seemed to breed, the kids felt no need to censor themselves, and the two 'Bots felt themselves relax. It was only when Raf showed up that they decided to go on a field trip. Picking a destination was a process with five varying opinions, but eventually they settled on a more remote section of California; close enough for the 'Bots to remain in communication range, but exotic enough for Miko's taste. After a quick trip back into Jasper to pick up some sandwiches for lunch, the crew was on their way.

* * *

"Lord Starscream!" an Eradicon hailed as he approached the Seeker. "Our latest scouting unit has detected an un-mined energon deposit."

Knock Out craned his head around to look over his shoulder, along with several other Eradicons. After the recent failure involving the Energon Harvester a couple weeks back, the morale of the ship had reached a low, as had their energon supply. The ship had remained parked in the frozen wasteland known as Canada, which while uncomfortable, was not cold enough to freeze even the weakest drone. True, it gave Knock Out fewer distractions while he worked, but it also created a high level of cabin fever. It was getting to the point where patrols became more frequent, and enthusiasm for them had never been higher.

Unfortunately, the blame for the loss of the Harvester was pinned on Knock Out, and combined with his racing tendencies, the doctor found himself as grounded as their ship. As if to ensure that Knock Out would stay put, Starscream had been ordering Breakdown on more and more missions, even if Knock Out found them transparent at best.

At least he had company sometimes. Nathan's daughter was continuing to hang around the lab, citing boredom, feelings of pity, and that the lab gave her a place to work. Though she was off the ship as often as Breakdown, she provided entertaining conversations, whether they were constant bickering or more serious, scientific ones. That girl knew Earth's science almost as well as he did.

"Were you able to extract coordinates, and provide a more in-depth examination of the mine?"

"Yes, Lord Starscream. The mine is already large enough to hold our equipment, and from the readings, the cache is sizable enough to restarted the ship and sustain it for some time."

"And how did this escape our notice until now?" Starscream growled, staring down the drone, who, Knock Out noticed, didn't flinch away.

"Officer Breakdown thinks a recent earthquake may have unearthed part of it," the drone replied simply. "But whatever the reason, I advise that we mine the energon before the Autobots do."

"Of course we should! Give the coordinates to Soundwave and assess the number of drills we need to bring while I assemble a force." At Soundwave's name the Eradicon did flinch slightly, but bowed respectfully before carrying on his duties. The Seeker turned to Knock Out and said, "You will remain on board the ship Knock Out. Megatron's restoration takes priority over this simple mission."

"As you wish, _Lord_ Starscream," Knock Out drawled, sarcasm dripping from his words. The medic knew contempt when he saw it—it was one of his more prominent qualities after all. It became clear almost immediately that Starscream would feed Megatron to scraplets if he had the chance. He knew that the Seeker's orders were a petty punishment for Knock Out's disobedience, nothing more. Still, it sounded as if Starscream was attending this mission, and Knock Out was looking forward to a few hours without him breathing down his back.

_Still_, Knock Out thought to himself as Starscream flounced about, giving the troops directions. _It beats scrounging for energon in the middle of African nowhere. _And 'Screamer wasn't so bad, as long as one didn't make a wrong move. Knock Out sighed and pulled out his data pad. If he was lucky, he could take a nap or polish his armor or perhaps even work on upgrades for the troops during the time Starscream was gone. _It would help if Breakdown was with me, but maybe Ally can—_

There went that idea. She left through the Groundbridge with Starscream. Knock Out observed the now near-empty Command Center. He was virtually alone. The only other 'Con he knew by name was Soundwave. He had chatted with some Eradicons since he arrived, but like the other officers, found it impossible to tell them apart.

Suddenly he grinned. Knock Out was sociable, but hadn't had much time just to himself lately, especially since his drives had been cut back. Whistling, he strolled towards him room, intending to enjoy the quiet as much as possible.

* * *

Hours had passed since they had begun mining, and while they had dug up a lot of energon, the tunnel was getting crowded because Starscream, simply put, refused to summon the Groundbridge more than once. Ally, having grown tired of suggesting it only to have Starscream reject the idea, resigned herself to stacking the energon cubes off to the side, trying to keep from getting underfoot. The mine was dusty, aggravating all her senses, but she refused to complain. _No use in giving Starscream more to criticize about me,_ she thought stubbornly.

_"Why did you even bring me?" she had asked the former Second in Command when they arrived. "I highly doubt I'll be of any use."_

_ "You need to get accustomed to being the field more often," was the reply. "With Megatron gone, and me being moved up a rank, we are short on officers. Plus, we've gained a doctor, making your former position rather…obsolete. Who knows? You may make a better warrior than Knock Out."_

Starscream, to prove his point, left to explore more of the mine with several Eradicons, leaving her in charge. Ally mostly watched the Eradicons work, directing them on where to store the energon, but mostly letting them do their job uninterrupted. As soon as she confirmed Starscream was out of earshot, Ally did order a single Groundbridge to move the first load. Though the Eradicons had no faces, she got the impression that some of them had been sharing her thoughts on the matter. With the mined energon gone, the cavern became much more comfortable.

"…so sick of it," Ally heard one of the drones mutter to his partner. "It's always 'hurry up, drone' and 'can't you work any faster?'. A little patience wouldn't kill him." His partner caught Ally's level stare and nudged the unhappy Eradicon, whispering something to him. Ally let the commends slide and continued her patrol. Mining for energon was a hassle, one that, as an officer, she would never have to understand. "Hope he has to scrape for some himself someday," was the last thing Ally heard before the rocks crumbled away and he pulled out a large crystal of energon.

"Good job," Ally called to him, coughing as dust entered her throat. "If you could place it in the secondary pile after you've cut it up, we might have enough to make another run back to the Nemesis. Keep up the good work. I know it's a bit thankless down here, but the sooner we mine this energon, the sooner we can go back and celebrate."

_It's not that hard,_ she mused, watching the pair of Eradicons begin to cut up their find, with more going to assist them. _Simple acknowledgement is really all that it takes. _Ally opened her mouth to give another order, but the words that sounded were not her own.

"We're under attack!"

* * *

"Optimus, come look at this." Ratchet typed at the keyboard and a map of the United States popped up, a splotch of bright blue visible in northern Montana. "Our scanners have picked up an energon deposit, inaccessible until now."

"What do you think caused the change?"

"It could have been anything. An earthquake, erosion, or maybe a satellite simply passed by and gave us the feed. In any event, this is exactly what we have been looking for."

Optimus gave the screen a long look before turning to Ratchet. "And, what do you think the chances are of the Decepticons already knowing of its location?"

"I'm…not sure."

Optimus nodded and began walking towards the Groundbridge. "I will go first and scout the area. Call in the rest of our team for stand-by, but do not send them until I give the word."

"In order to save time and fuel, I'll send them directly to your coordinates," Ratchet said, typing in the destination. "Optimus, I don't think I have to remind you of the importance of needing this energon."

"I understand, Ratchet. I will see you soon."

* * *

It had been surprising and suspicious to see so few drones mining an extensive hoard of energon, especially unsupervised. A quick call to Ratchet confirmed that his signals weren't being scrambled either, a sure sign that Starscream or another high-ranking Decepticon was nowhere present.

The Prime couldn't see how far back the tunnel went without revealing himself, so he made his decision swiftly. While there may be reinforcements farther back inside of the cave, Optimus could clearly see energon simply waiting to be re-located. He couldn't judge the potency of it, but it could be enough for the time being, and perhaps scare the Eradicons into fleeing or abandoning the mine.

"Ratchet, send in Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee to my arrival coordinates," Optimus commanded after he withdrew to a safe space. "I'll brief them myself."

"Got it," he heard Ratchet reply over the comlink. "Arcee, we've located a fresh source of energon. Optimus is already waiting at the site. I'm opening up a Groundbridge now."

* * *

Optimus glanced down at his team, one eyebrow raised and wondering how they could have avoided this. All three 'Bots remained in vehicle mode, their human companions glancing up at the Prime nervously. Miko and Raf leaned out the windows, while Jack simply waved from his seat on Arcee's back. In hindsight, Optimus supposed it would make sense that his 'Bots wouldn't abandon base unless they were with their human friends. If he had told Ratchet there were Decepticons in the mine with them, the medic would have altered the Groundbridge coordinates. In any event, he had a situation now.

"We thought it was a simple energon pick up?" Arcee said, hoping it would cover as an excuse.

"And thought it would be a good experience for the kids," Bulkhead added. "Ratchet didn't tell us we'd have to fight for it."

"It was my fault for not informing Ratchet. However, we cannot bring them into combat." Everyone ignored Miko's whine while Optimus thought. "Jack, Miko, get inside of Bumblebee. Bumblebee, retreat slightly and stay out of sight. If all goes well, you can aid us in moving the enrgon. Arcee, Bulkhead, with me."

"Miko, don't even think about it," Bulkhead warned as she got out.

"See you in a bit, partner?"

"Just in time to bring you home so June doesn't ground you," Arcee promised, transforming out of her vehicle mode. "Let's go Bulk!" Arcee charged up her guns and rounded the corner, firing upon the first Decepticon she saw. Bulkhead and Optimus quickly followed the suit, taking care not to misfire and set off the energon. Optimus watched as each Eradicon inevitable fell, feeling a twinge his spark as it happened. They were miners, not warriors, and though he made sure his team knew to immobilize and not kill, accidents would happen.

"Go warn the others! I'll cover you!" one of the remaining two said. The second gave a brief nod before running down the cavern, the other positioning himself between his retreating comrade and the Autobots. Within seconds he was down.

"Bumblebee! Come back and pick up the energon we have managed to secure. Have Ratchet help you if necessary. Arcee, Bulkhead, and I will continue down the mine." Optimus heard Miko shout in victory before he closed the connection, and the trio ran forward, the element of surprise eliminated.

* * *

"We're under attack!"

Ally was immediately swept off her feet by the nearest Eradicon, who tried to carry her to the back of the cavern amidst the sudden chaos. Though she couldn't be sure, Ally believed this Eradicon was one who often guarded her in these moments, as per Megatron's ever-standing instructions, reinforced by Soundwave.

Ally coughed and activated her comlink, opening it to the Eradicon mainline. "Eradicons, hold your ground! There are more of us than there are of them. Use the drills if you are close enough, but otherwise maintain distance and a cover fire. Someone, go and alert Starscream for back-up, and don't hit the energon."

There came a chorus of affirmations even as the air began to thicken with dust and blasts of energon. Ally fought down her panic, brought upon by the battle and difficulty of breathing. There was always a risk of Autobots appearing in the field, which was why Megatron had ordered her to remain on board the Nemesis for as long as possible. Suddenly the whole world melted into silence and slowness. The noise became deafening to Ally as she watched her soldiers fall and limbs be broken apart. _Starscream will come soon._ The thought kept repeating in her head, even when her hands were shaking and her eyes filled with water. _He has to come. He'll take charge, and—_the world lurched sickeningly, and Ally came to the numb realization that the Eradicon who had been guarding her was falling to the ground. Body jerking with the effort, Ally forced herself to wait until the last minute to jump free of his arms and avoid being caught under his frame. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and she rolled wildly before hitting the stack of energon they had gathered. Vaguely she knew this was the worst place for her, but her buckling knees made it impossible to escape. Reaching for her comlink again, she began to choke out new orders when she found herself staring into the optics of the Prime.

"Arcee!"

"Got it!" Arcee transformed and raced into the battle, weaving between the Decepticon's legs and driving off the cavern walls. The nervous, confused waver in Optimus's voice, only audible to those who served him for years, betrayed that he was exactly as dumbfounded as she was as to why a human was here in the cavern. The motorcycle hadn't even noticed until Bulkhead had shouted out in surprise, claiming that the Eradicon he shot at was carrying a girl. Arcee transformed back into her robot form and slid, using her blades to sever the cables connecting the Eradicon's foot and leg, grimacing as he cried out. Even as he fell, Arcee picked the girl up and transformed, relieved that the girl stayed on. "Hold on!" she shouted and took off, this time dodging corpses as well as blasters. Vigilant as always, Optimus covered her until Arcee was past him, driving up towards where Bumblebee said he would be, moving energon out to where Ratchet was, with the Groundbridge.

"No time to explain," Arcee called as she skid to a stop in front of the muscle car. "Optimus says to get her out of here now!" Beeping his plaintive confusion, Bumblebee opened his door for the girl. As soon as the human got off her back, Arcee turned and sped back towards the fight, rejoining with a battle cry.

Ally was given one moment of clarity to realize her situation before a set of hands grabbed onto her and pulled her into the car. _No,_ Ally corrected herself, alarmed. _The Autobot._ An arm reached over her and closed the door, and then they were moving, giving Ally a clear view of the dead Eradicons. A wave of nausea rolled over Ally as she attempted to calm her breathing, steady her reeling head. Her hands groped for her inhaler, inside it's protective case on her belt, and prayed that it hadn't been crushed. Once she could breath, she could think.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ally glanced to her right to see a boy, probably her own age, sitting next her, a look of concern etched onto his face. He wasn't the only one. Another girl sat on the far side of the car, and a younger boy in the passenger seat. Both looked worried. Even the car made noises, which Ally assumed was for her.

"Asthma," she choked out, and then a thought occurred to her. "Fast driving…irritates…"

"Hey, it's alright, just take it easy. Bumblebee, can you slow down a bit?" Ally felt their speed reduce even as she used her inhaler, hand over her heart to try to calm its rapid beat. The panic she felt from earlier began to arise, now that she had the time to think. She knew she needed to get out, and screaming or using physical resistance would only make it worse.

She saw the last of the Eradicons go out of sight as they rounded the corner, heading back to the entrance of the mine. Sorrow and anger twisted together inside of her, causing Ally to wrap her arms around her midsection. _They were just miners doing their job,_ she thought miserably. _They shouldn't have had to die._

"Uh oh, is she gonna puke?" the girl asked. Ally could have punched her, but instead nodded and brought a hand to her mouth. Anything to buy time. "Raf, you might wanna have 'Bee open the door."

"Bee" rolled to a halt and the door nearest Ally slid open. She put one shaky leg outside the door, and felt the boy's hands go to steady her. She was about to snap at him when they brushed against something. Ally froze momentarily, and then glanced back to see his reaction. His face melted from confusion to fear as they both realized what was sticking out of Ally's skirt, on her back.

Her escape became decided. Ally knew that she couldn't have contact with the Autobot as she fired, and made a quick, desperate wish that these kids wouldn't be too injured. Ally swiftly removed her other foot from the car and pivoted, drawing her weapons out of their holders around her back. Just as it had on the battlefield, time seemed to slow as first the boy, then the girl, and then the child in the front seat realized what was happening. Ally's fingers landed on the triggers and she jumped away as she fired straight into the car, aiming for the radio of the Autobot.

The result was immediate and horrific. Ally winced as the car shrieked in pain, the power of the blast so strong the Autobot attempted to drive away, only to end up spinning in circles. She was already running back through the mine after seeing the Autobot seize, and so wasn't able to discern whether the blast had affected the kids inside. Ally stuck her energon guns back in their holsters and sprinted to the battle site as quickly as her body would allow.

She rounded the final corner just in time to see Starscream fall to his knees. A knot in her stomach loosened as she saw the number of Eradicons left standing, though her relief quickly faded when she saw how they had their backs to the wall as the Autobots moved in. Ally hid behind a nearby pile of rocks and waited, one hand ready by an energon gun, and the other ready by her cellphone with its comlink patch, prepared to call the Nemesis.

"It's over 'Screamer," said the green Autobot. "Just give up."

"The conditions of your surrender were made clear." Starscream's eyes flickered between the 'Bots, though listening intently to the Prime. "If you come with us as our prisoner, we will allow the Eradicons to leave peaceful, without further bloodshed. If you continue to resist, we cannot ensure your safety."

There wasn't a doubt in Ally's mind that Starscream would never give himself up like that, and that the Eradicons would find it a fair deal. _If they got him to hire Knock Out on a _vote_, there's no way they'll give up a chance like this._ But Starscream wouldn't hold out, Ally realized, gulping. A pain in the ass though he was, Starscream could not be allowed to become a prisoner, especially since no one would even try to rescue him. He'd end up betraying them all.

Realizing no one was going to do anything, Ally's right hand left her cellphone to reach for her second gun. She manually checked the energy levels, and seeing they were enough, switched the power to its highest setting. It would drain more quickly, but she couldn't afford anything weaker. Taking a deep breath, Ally thought, _I'm sorry Dad. I couldn't stay uninvolved, _ and whirled out from behind her shelter and began shooting.

* * *

Optimus saw Bulkhead fall first, as he had moved forward to collect the retreating Starscream from the crowd of Eradicons. Turning, he saw Arcee hit the ground on her hands and knees facing away from him—he knew she had tried to find the source of the attack. Optimus kept one gun facing the Decepticons and leveled the other one at spark-height, a second away from blasting the intruder.

He couldn't believe his optics. Standing before him was the girl from earlier, tucking one gun behind her back and keeping the other pointed straight at him. Without thinking he took a step back, then another, his right gun lowering away from her.

* * *

"Soundwave! Requesting emergency Groundbridge now! Open at my coordinates," Ally commanded into her cellphone, gun-hand shaking as she stared down the Prime. "The rest of you, get whatever energon you can carry and retreat." The vortex opened directly behind her, close enough that Ally could feel the pull of it. Eradicons scattered, some grabbing the cubes of energon that had been spilled in the fight, others going for the wounded. Starscream had taken flight immediately, engine roaring over Optimus Prime's head before he disappeared into the Groundbridge. The other two Autobots stumbled to their feet even as Eradicons rushed by them.

"What are you doing?" the green one demanded, shielding himself from the pebbles falling from the ceiling. "A Groundbridge here could collapse the mine!"

With one hand kept over her side, energon spilling from in-between her fingers, the other one struggled to her knees. "Where's Bumblebee?" Arcee growled. Ally smirked. "What have you done to him?"

Raising her gun, Ally taunted, "Wouldn't you like to know?" before jumping into the Groundbridge, firing away the last reserve of energon in it. Optimus shoved Arcee out of the way, the blast barely grazing his shoulder, and instead hit the cavern wall. When he turned back, both the girl and the Groundbridge were gone.

Optimus righted himself slowly, helping Arcee to her feet as he surveyed the damage. The worst was the cut on her side, which would require some surgery, but Optimus noted that she was more shocked than hurt. He turned to Bulkhead, who appeared the same.

"Did that girl really just go with the 'Cons?" Bulkhead asked.

"It would appear that we are not the only ones with human guidance," Optimus replied. "This makes our situation much worse."

"It doesn't matter who she is or what; she gave Bumblebee the slip, and he's not responding."

Optimus glanced at the smoldering hole in the wall before transforming. "Arcee, go into vehicle mode and stay on my back. That is an order. Bulkhead, prepare to roll out."

* * *

Knock Out calculated the damage. An untold number of Eradicon drones lost, a great many injured, an irate Starscream, but an ample supply of energon. "It could be worse," he finally commented out loud, getting several stares from Eradicons.

The retreat had been messy (energon cubes, Eradicons, limbs all strewn about the Groundbridge docking bay), but gotten the job done. Knock Out had recruited fresh volunteers to help move the injured to the medical bay, and Breakdown returned not long after from his patrol. He was capable of handling the minor wounds while Knock Out did the finer work, and occasionally, put the drone out of its misery. The whole process had taken several hours, but eventually all the work that could be done was done. Knock Out had Breakdown send away the angry drones who were missing parts, the blue 'Con attempting to explain _why_ Knock Out didn't just have drone parts accessible right now, and how if they gave him a list, they could work on collecting parts. While his assistant was doing that, Knock Out had snuck away to hopefully catch up on some gossip.

He didn't have to wend the hallways for long before he heard "—the situation under control!" Knock Out smirked (one couldn't get much better gossip on Starscream than Starscream himself) and waited on the corner of the hallway. "It was entirely unnecessary; worse, it was dangerous for you to reveal yourself. You better have a good explanation."

"Look Starscream, if I hadn't stepped in when I did, you would have been dead or a prisoner. Those Autobots weren't messing around."

"It is—"

"Lord Starscream, yes, I know. Forgive me." Ally's voice was hard. "But aren't you the one who I said I needed more field experience? If you wanted me to go down that road, I was going to end up in this situation anyways."

"The point of the matter wasn't you being there, it was making your allegiance as clear as, as—"

"An energon shot to the back?" Ally asked smugly.

"Wipe that smile off your face," Starscream growled. "The Autobots knowing who you are and where your loyalties are means next time they won't hesitate to use more force. If you had gone along with them, they would have brought you back to their base, and you could have proven far more useful then than you are now."

Ally opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Knock Out stepping around the corner and calling, "Ah, Allison, I've been looking all over for you. Your comlink must be down. I'm so sorry to interrupt, Lord Starscream, but Professor Ross has called, and he wants me to drive his daughter home."

"Very well," Starscream said, glancing down at Ally. "When can I expect to see you next?"

"Saturday," came the nonchalant reply. "I may be able to arrive earlier, but I can't promise anything." Starscream nodded and stalked off, snapping at a couple of Eradicons along the way. "Thank you," Ally said to Knock Out, grinning. "I didn't think he'd ever let me go."

"Well, it works both ways. I finally have an excuse to get off this rust-bucket of a ship." Knock Out transformed and opened the driver door. "Shall we? You can tell me all about what happened today."

Ally strapped herself in and responded, "I'm sure the Eradicons could tell it better. Most of what you'll hear is probably complaints of how they almost bumped Starscream off the ship." Knock Out drove them to the Groundbridge and gave Soundwave a set of coordinates, rolling down his window so the communications officer could see Ally inside. Soundwave gave her a single nod before activating the bridge, allowing the duo to detour their way to Ally's house.

* * *

Silence weighed heavily on the Autobot base as they contemplated their situation. Their human friends had long since returned home as night had already settled. Upon their return, Ratchet had been outraged to find his patients in such poor condition, especially when three of them stumbled out of Bulkhead. Optimus ended up working on Arcee's open wound, staunching the energon flow and wrapping it up. Her automatic maintenance programming would likely close it within a few days, but Optimus still regretted not knowing further medicine.

The absolute basic treatment had been giving to the children. "How many fingers am I holding up?" and "What kind of pain do you feel?" and "Can you feel this?". Ratchet diagnosed that they were feeling the effects of a more indirect contact with energon, and simply needed rest, food, and water. Optimus knew from the frown on Ratchet's face that the doctor was uncertain of his claim, and hoped that Ratchet was right.

Most of the afternoon and early evening had been spent treating Bumblebee, who had slipped into unconsciousness after being awake but delirious for several hours. Cooling down his systems, replacing some burnt out chips and wires, and re-arranging tangled cords had all been part of the recovery process. At one point Ratchet had to enlist a very frightened and reluctant Arcee to do what Ratchet's bigger hands could not.

"So let me get this straight," Ratchet repeated for the third time. "This girl is not only working for the Decepticons, but you said has weapons strong enough to harm three of our 'Bots, and is able to give orders?" Optimus nodded. "I never would have thought the Decepticons would sink to what they thought was that low."

"It is troubling to think about such a young girl being associated with them," Optimus agreed. "And it opens up doors of possibilities we never thought of until now. What if she is not the only one? Do they have military protection as we do? How long has this been going on?"

"I should have scrapped her when I had the chance." Everyone turned to look at Arcee, Ratchet with a raised eyebrow. "I was hurt and surprised Ratchet, not dysfunctional. We all had about thirty seconds to shoot her after she attacked us, and we didn't do a damn thing." A series of beeps emerged from the medical table. "I _know_ she's a human 'Bee, but…"

"Bumblebee is not wrong, Arcee," Optimus said slowly. "Even if she is allied with the Decepticons, she is only a girl."

"Only a girl? Optimus, that girl just wrecked us better than the Wreckers could," Bulkhead protested. "She didn't even hesitate to shoot at her own kind."

"She had the element of surprise, which is why we were caught off guard. Now we know to proceed with caution. I am not so sure she could harm us the same way if she had attacked us from the front." Optimus shook his head and rose. "In the morning, I will contact Agent Fowler and explain the situation to him. Human affairs are best dealt with by humans. In the meantime, we should all get some rest. Tomorrow we are going to do reconnaissance on the mine, to salvage what we can."


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Lots of talking in this chapter, getting some plot-work out of the way. No Autobots =(_

* * *

Balancing the Worlds

Logan was seriously considering kicking them out and making them walk, and had been for the past ten minutes, when he decided enough was enough. "Will the two you ever shut up?" he demanded over his shoulder. "For god's sake, you're both sixteen. Stop acting like children."

Kyle and Ally glared at him from the backseat, but only the latter respected his wishes. "C'mon Logan, you _had_ to have heard her," Kyle exclaimed. "She can't talk about mom like that!"

"Don't tell me what to do, Kyle." Ally crossed her arms and glanced out the window. "Besides, I'm not the one who moped all the way out to this miserable state and called dad a selfish opportunist."

"Selfish opportunist is still better than what you said, Ally," Logan commented from the front. "And the move was hard and unexpected for all of us. Just lay off it, both of you." As an afterthought he added, "See if I ever pick you two up from school again."

"You wouldn't have to if the movers did their jobs right."

"God Allison, you're such a bitch all the time. If you won't be nice to us for doing you favors, at least be nice to the people who literally moved us across the country."

"I didn't ask for siblings," Ally retorted. "At least not whiny ones like you. Logan, what do you have for music in this thing?" Kyle fell quiet as his family sorted through CD's and Logan's I-Pod, eventually settling for some electro-industrial mashups. Two-thirds of the car's occupants brightened almost immediately. It became Kyle's turn to stare out the window, which was vibrating in sync of the music's backbeat, while Logan and Ally turned the conversation down a different road.

"How do you like your new doctor?" Logan shouted over the noise.

"She's really great. I mean, technically she's only a nurse, but she's been put in charge of me for the time being. I really like her. We're going out to dinner in a week or so."

"Glad you're getting used to it out here."

_It wasn't a problem to begin with,_ Ally thought, agreeing out loud. _I still don't like his orders, but Starscream's plan makes sense. If the Autobot's human friends want to get involved, they better be prepared to pay the price._

* * *

Ally finally hit the "Send" button and rubbed her eyes, flipping onto her back as she sighed, keeping an ear out for annoying brothers or suspicious activity. No job, she had come to realize, didn't require paperwork from its employees. Working for the Decepticons was no different, especially considering the combined perfectionism of Soundwave and Starscream. _Hell, even Knock Out and Lord Megatron want every little detail in order_. This report was bound to be the worse, she knew. Not only was the energon raid a fiasco (it was impossible to add up the numbers of Eradicons injured or the amount of energon received), but Ally also had to admit that she defied Starscream's orders. _It's not like it was illogical or dangerous, he was just being a prick. If we hadn't moved the energon when we did, the Autobots would have taken more or blown it up._ Naturally she said so in the report, albeit in a more professional manner, but knew the next time she walked onto the Nemesis, Starscream would be waiting to chew her out.

Her second, much shorter, report was sent a few minutes later to Knock Out as well. While her first log had simply been recounting the details of the overall mission, this one was more personal, and though Ally found it a chore, she admired Starscream's organization. When she had been presented with the energon guns, currently stored in the chest at the foot of her bed, the Seeker had warned her that its use would be monitored to ensure maximum results. Every shot, every level of energon they consumed, every target had to be recorded.

_At least they're preparing me for a practical job while we save the world,_ Ally joked to herself. _When this is all over I can become a secretary._ Gingerly, she closed the lid of her laptop and pushed it to the side of her bed, lying on her back again and staring at the purple bed canopy. Most of the time her reports were done on the Nemesis, where she wouldn't have to worry about translating them from English to Cybertronian. Despite their best efforts, Ally never gained more than a raw understanding of the code, and Starscream was no expert on the matter.

Soundwave was though, and had only given them what could be assumed was a look of blank disbelief before walking off. An awkward silence lead to Starscream muttering, "Just do what you can", which sealed the deal.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "What?" Ally didn't open her eyes when she heard Kyle call, "Dinner's ready!" from the other side. It was only when she was sure he had left that Ally rolled off her bed and landed on her feet, boots making nothing more than a mild _tap_ on the floor. Satisfied, Ally began to stride towards the kitchen, still cautious about making a wrong turn. The layout of the new house was quite different from her old one—instead of having floors and subfloors, this one boasted of length over height. The first day Ally was unable to find any one main staircase that led from one floor to the next, and got caught wandering the same corridor three times in succession.

When she did arrive, her family had already started serving the lukewarm Chinese food onto each other's plates. Resisting the urge to wrinkle her nose, Ally took hers and ate in silence after saying grace, knowing better than to complain and start a fight. Arriving home covered in dust, no car in sight, after dark, and abusing her inhaler had brought questions to the surface, only to further Ally's foul mood. With a hand on her shoulder and a strict "Good night" to the others, her dad sheltered her from the rest of her family and treated her. _"You've got some bruises and a hell of an irritated respiratory system, but it's nothing you and I can't handle." Nathan kept a hand on her back as he spoke. "Doesn't Starscream know you shouldn't be down there?"_

_ "It's fine Dad," she coughed. "I had my inhaler. I didn't think we'd, we'd be attacked."_

_ "It's not a matter of being attacked Ally, though it does make it worse. We weren't meant to go into the field, least of all you. That's not what our contract says."_

_ "They needed me," the girl insisted. She couldn't meet his gaze. "Now that they have Knock Out _and_ Soundwave working in the labs, I'm obsolete." She didn't have the heart to tell him of her failure in the field as well. Starscream would no doubt inform him of every detail._

_ Her father sighed and knelt to eye-level. "Listen to me Ally. You will never be obsolete. As powerful and ancient as they might be, the Decepticons will never know Earth like we do. That's what makes us invaluable. You don't have to pull any extra weight around. It's my job, not yours. You belong on the ship or here at home. Now," he said, softening his voice and kissing her on the forehead, "go get some rest."_

Diane and Logan didn't question her after that night; Ally suspected that her dad had spoken to Diane, and it wasn't as though she hadn't done suspicious things before. Coming home late, leaving abruptly, and going for hours without calling them had quickly become a regular routine, one that escalated as Ally grew older. She had just never come home looked less presentable. The next two days found her in school or in her room, absentmindedly catching up on work while the faces of the Eradicons flashed through her head.

Table talk slowly picked up, with Ally only half-listening, reminiscing about her old home while she gnawed on the food in front of her. What she missed most, she decided, about North Carolina wasn't the weather or her friends, but their cook. Though she had few memories with her, the tutors, or the cleaners, there had been a sense of security when they were around, especially from Mrs. Jones, who had known Ally since she was born. Nathan called them family, and Ally called them by their names and profession, but there was an empty feeling whenever Ally looked for them and they weren't there.

"Why did we have to move again?"

"It's for business, son." Nathan chewed slowly on his chicken before swallowing and explaining further. "Business for a number of reasons. I needed an isolated place to work; frequent trips to the summer house weren't enough. My colleagues and I had also been planning to extend a branch of our companies to this area for months anyways. We were too cluttered in the north and east. Now I'll be able to work from home more often, which will save money for flights to conferences and events. K-On Industries has an office nearby, which I'm going to help manage." Shifting his glasses to look at them all, Nathan asked, "You are okay with this, right?"

"It's fine Nathan, don't fret," Diane said. "We'll all get used to it. It's not bad out here."

"Yeah, we'll alright Dad," Kyle smiled. "Well, Ally hates it, but she'll get over it."

"Nevada is boring as hell, but it was necessary," was the dry reply. "I never said I was sad or angry. And don't call me that."

"Don't swear at the table Allison," warned Diane. The other girl shrugged and continued eating. "How's school?"

"Fine." Ally took a gulp of soda and looked at her dad. "Can I be excused?"

"No, you can wait until the rest of us are done eating," Diane said. Realizing her dad wouldn't bail her out, Ally wiped her napkin over her mouth and retreated into her own thoughts again. It was close to six o'clock by the time Nathan stood and asked the two girls to clean up while he, Kyle, and Logan moved in some more boxes.

Ally listened to the clock tick as she rinsed the dishes with soap and water, scrubbing away grease and half-congealed sauces. Wordlessly she passed the dishes to Diane, taking care to hold the forks and knives by the tip so their fingers wouldn't touch. Distantly she heard the men talking, or in Kyle's case groaning, as they continued to unpack the number of boxes that had collected in their garage. Ally kept her gaze on the sink and dishes, up to her forearms in hot, oily water.

The sudsy dishes piled up faster than they were dried, so soon Ally turned to the dark-haired woman and said, "My parts done. See you later." Without waiting for a reply Ally began a composed rush to her room, eager to have some time to herself. This time she remembered the way and arrived to her open bedroom door in time to see Kyle lifting the lid of her trunk.

"What are you doing?"

Kyle dropped the lid, seeing the deathly expression, and pointed to a box. "I was just bringing this up for you."

"Good, leave it outside the door next time," Ally snapped, circling into her room as Kyle began to circle out.

"What, no thank you for lugging that all the way across the house?"

Ally lunged, not surprised when she missed, but it did send Kyle scampering out the door. "Dammit Kyle, just stay out of my room," she yelled down the hallway before slamming the door shut. Ally stalked to the chest and opened it, making sure nothing was out of place. When she saw it wasn't, she closed the box a bit more gently, berating herself for leaving it unlocked. Of course Kyle would be curious.

Ally barely had time to start unpacking when her phone began to ring. She dropped the piles of books on her bed, and snatched the phone off her nightstand, checking the caller ID before answering. "Doctor. What's new?"

"Same old. Just filed in your reports of the latest mission. They're translating and uploading now, and I'm a free mech."

"Starscream let you off the ship?" Ally asked, half in disbelief. She thought Starscream would have grounded Knock Out for at least another month, given his behavior.

"He's been in an excellent mood since we retrieved all that energon. The ship is flying again and so am I. So," he continued, "once I receive permission from Lord Starscream, I'm going to go look for a race. Are you in?"

Ally twirled some of her hair in-between her fingers as she decided. No one in her family would like her going out so late, at least no one except her dad. It never stopped her before, but Ally wasn't sure if she was in the mood for racing, thinking back on the past couple days. All the arguments were becoming tiresome, even if it was more playful banter with the sports car.

If she stayed, she'd either spend the night doing nothing, fighting, or having talks with her dad that she wasn't sure she could face. At least with a 'Con he'd know that she was safe. And thinking about the effect racing had on Knock Out, she decided she could use some safe adrenaline rushes.

"Let's do it. If you could Groundbridge within a few miles of my house, I'm sure I could meet you there." Ally hung up and slid into a sweater, long enough to cover the small of her back, where her guns were promptly set. After attaching both her phone and her inhaler to the belt, Ally schooled her demeanor into one of casual interest and went to find Logan.

* * *

"You're just going to end up worrying mom again," Logan pointed out, leaning against his doorframe, keys in one hand and covering a yawn.

"Diane's worrying about nothing. She thinks I'm off partying and doing drugs and having sex. I'm not doing anything like that. I just miss being able to take off whenever I want to drive around."

Logan considered the keys in his hand and giving them over to her. Despite Kyle's frequent arguments about Ally not being a "party gal", Logan could see her doing all that she listed and more. With a glance over to his computer, where his girlfriend waited on Skype, Logan extended the keys to her.

"Three rules. Don't mess it up in any way. It's a nice car inside and out, and I want to keep it that way. Second rule is if you break it, you buy it." Ally took the keys from her, her face alight. "Last one, just be smart. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but don't be stupid about it."

"Thanks Logan. I don't know when I'll be home, but I'll drop the keys off on the kitchen counter."

"Just leave them in the car and don't lock the door," Logan called after her. "…I hope she heard that."

* * *

"You ready?" she asked. Knock Out hit the gas pedal in response, even though he was still in park. Ally couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through her even as she grinned. "I'll take that as a yes. Let's burn some metal."

She could practically feel Knock Out shaking with anticipation, a pre-emptive high. It was impossible to deny that his enthusiasm was contagious. Until he had sauntered aboard the Nemesis, Ally had never considered street racing something she would find desirable. Now she gripped the steering wheel in a combination of excitement and dizzying, nervous energy, despite knowing perfectly well that Knock Out would keep her safe.

The force of Knock Out's departure flung her back into his seat. Ally hands scrambled for something sturdy to hold onto while the red sports car exploded around the corners and past the other competitors. Finally her fingers grasped the sides of Knock Out's leather chair, shoulders straining to keep Ally upright. Without warning Knock Out hit the brakes, whipping Ally forward. Out of reflex Ally's legs jerked, attempting to re-balance the rest of her body. Her head slammed back against the headrest as Knock Out took off again.

A secondary seatbelt snaked over Ally's right shoulder, creating an X across her torso, securing her more effectively to him. Ally felt the seat slide forward, until grabbing the steering wheel was no longer a reach. Knock Out continued to re-adjust until Ally was no longer flung about each way, but instead could access all the controls he could, furthering her engagement. _Keep Allison safe_ was one of the top priorities for the 'Cons. Knock Out wasn't about the damage her. _Besides, this way is more fun for the both of us,_ he thought and rammed into the imbecile trying to sneak past his left side.

The steering wheel provided better stability, especially given Knock Out's expertise on racing. He preferred controlled maneuvers and rarely overturned. The times he did have to yank the wheel, he always called, allowing Ally to adjust. Her weight did give him a disadvantage to the start, but Knock Out found the new challenge interesting, pressuring him to think in new ways to regain his rightful place as number one. Regardless, Knock Out enjoyed the company. By the end of the race Ally was nearly breathless but hollering in exhilaration. "Get him, Knock Out, get him, get him, get him!" she would shout, or "C'mon, you can do it, faster, faster!", finally letting loose a triumphant shout as they crossed the finish line. Knock Out didn't bother sticking around; he continued speeding down the road until they were out of sight from the racetrack, where he began to slow down and let his cooling systems kick into gear.

After some time, with permission, Ally rolled down the window and half hung outside, letting the breeze and night sky soothe her hazy, gratified mind. Eventually Knock Out turned off-road, searching for a place where the two of them could park and chat. Neither felt like returning home, and Ally knew that Logan's car would be safe where left it. Nothing short of a call from her father would change her mind.

Ally took the chance to stretch her legs and breathe in the cool night air, still trembling from the excitement. She placed a hand on Knock Out's hood and judged that he was feeling similarly; his frame was still hot, and his engine stuttered constantly. Ally walked beside him for a while until they were under a ledge, when he transformed and sat down, splaying his legs out in front of him and leaning against the cliff wall.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Ally inquired, climbing onto his knee joint. "Someone might see you."

"Oh please, make yourself right at home," the Decepticon said sarcastically as she settled on his thigh, head rested against the spike on his knee. "If I wanted organics climbing all over me, I'd have become a fire truck."

"I'm surprised you didn't, given how taken you were with the last truck you came across." Ally yawned and pointed to Knock Out's side. "You got scratched."

Knock Out waved it off with indifference, though he kept one hand over the imperfection. "I must have gotten it when I squeezed between the road barrier and that Ferrari." "That's all? I was expecting another outburst. What would it have been, three in two weeks?"

"It's the cost of battle dear Allison. If I got angry over every little one, I wouldn't be able to race. It's just the intentional, deep, degrading ones that boil my circuitry. Still, it beats sitting around the med-lab all day collecting dust. And you?" he asked, rolling his head from side and side. "Feeling better now that you've gotten out of that slag fest?"

"You mean Diane and Kyle? Slag is too general of a phrase. I think bitch and dumbass are more accurate." She tilted her head back to grin at him while he chuckled. "Promise me we'll do that again?"

"On my spark," replied Knock Out. "I gotta say, we chose a good night for you to join me. It had the perfect balance between predictability and action. It gets too boring when a bunch of amateurs are at the wheel, but racing an Autobot wasn't as fun as I imagined."

Ally blinked slowly and turned at the waist, giving him a more direct stare. "Did you just say Autobot?"

"Well, yes, I believe it was Bumblebee. I almost got his human friend too before reinforcements showed up."

"Wait, Knock Out, back up, this is important. When did this happen?"

"Just last week. It's why I got 'grounded' in the first place," he spat.

Ally rose. "Where? Where did this happen? I need to know."

"I'm…not sure I remember," Knock Out said with a frown. When brown eyes hardened, he hastily added, "I wasn't paying attention to the location, just the race itself. I know I passed a sign. It was named after some kind of mineral your planet has. Why the sudden interest?"

"Because the reason I moved to this miserable desert was to try to find the Autobot base through their friends. Starscream's been going through the data, and pinpointed the greatest amount of Autobot activity has come from this part of the country. It's where their human friends were first sighted, at least one of them." Ally grew visible more excited as she spoke. "What did the human look like?"

"Well, I mean, you all look the same to me," the Decepticon stuttered. "It wasn't a priority at the time. He had red hair, and I think blue or green eyes?" He watched Ally as she paced along his leg and bit her lip. "Leave it for later Ally, and enjoy the night. You're going to be on the ship on the weekend anyways, so just wait until then."

"This might only take a couple minutes though. What time is it…it's only nine-thirty. I'm going onto the Nemesis." She began dialing in the number. "Are you coming?"

"And risk Starscream finding some petty excuse to lock me up again? No thank you. I'll come back when I can't stand looking at this anymore." He gestured to the scrape on his side.

"Alright. I guess I'll see you in half an hour. Hello?" she said into her cellphone. "Hey, big guy, can you find Soundwave for me, and tell him that I need his help with my mission? I just got some new information that could narrow down my search. Mhmm. Just call me back." She hung up the phone Knock Out lifted her off his leg and onto the ground. "Did you bridge down, or is the Nemesis close?"

"I bridged. The Nemesis isn't very close."

"Got it. Guess I'll just have to wait."

* * *

"Hey, uh, Soundwave," Breakdown called over his comlink, at a loss as to where the communications officer would even be at this time of night. By the computers as always, skulking about the ship, taking a joy ride with his drone? Knock Out had scoffed at those suggestions, but Breakdown could never be quite sure. "I don't know where you are, but Allison says that she got some information regarding her mission…I hope you know what means, because I don't. She wants to know if you can help her out and meet her by the Groundbridge." Nothing emerged from the other end. "If you could, uh, send me some kind of signal as to whether or not you're listening, or can help, that'd be great. I'm supposed to—" A choked shout of surprise finished Breakdown's sentence when the med-bay doors hissed open and Soundwave suddenly loomed in the doorway.

Breakdown found his voice after a few moments. "So, you got my mess….okay then." A barely perceptible nod was all Soundwave gave him before prowling away. Shaking his head, Breakdown turned back to the computer monitor and returned to his reports, making sure to call Allison back.

* * *

"Thanks big guy. I'll see you in a few. Can you forward me to the Groundbridge command center? Thanks…Hello? This is Allison. Please open a Groundbridge at my coordinates. I'll take full responsibility." Ally tucked the phone into her belt and waved at Knock Out when the bridge appeared. "Thanks for the fun, doctor. I'll be sure to credit any find I make to you."

"Giving me a Get-Off-Of-Nemesis-Free card?" he called back smugly. Ally merely smirked and wriggled her fingers before disappearing.

* * *

It had taken some time to collect everything they needed. Getting Nathan onto the Nemesis required skill and precision; Soundwave himself had to adjust the Groundbridge to accommodate for the dimensions of their new house. Upon setting foot into their house, the first thing Nathan made clear was that the basement and the west wing were for his labs and offices, not to be intruded upon by anyone other than Ally. Even with those limitations, opening a Groundbridge into one of Nathan's rooms was risky business.

Nathan had arrived carrying a medical case full of converters and cords along with his and Ally's laptop. Breakdown had assisted in the transportation and was ordered to prevent any interruptions from the outside. By the time Ally had explained her plan and the men had completed the setup, Ally's clock read ten-thirty.

"He said it was some kind of mineral? I've found two towns with the word Silver in it and one with gold."

"It's just meant to narrow the field," Ally said distractedly, searching on her computer as well. "Soundwave, can you scan that picture you took again?" Soundwave's fingers began typing rapidly again, pausing only to show the picture itself. "Thanks. I doubt we can assume all three of them live in the same area, but there might be a fourth according to Knock Out's description. I just don't know how we'd—"

"What is going on in here? Soundwave, why haven't you answered any of my calls?"

Nathan rose shakily to his feet, bracing his hands on his knees until he was upright. "Starscream, if you'd please, we're in the middle of a procedure right now."

"Oh? And what was so important that you couldn't spare the time to tell me about, even though you've been on the ship for nearly an hour? And I thought a put a curfew on the Groundbridge."

"The Groundbridge violation was from me, Lord Starscream," Ally interjected, wondering if she could ever use the title lord without sarcasm. "And we've been working on the mission _you_ made highest priority for us."

"You…think you've found a lead? How?"

"Knock Out gave me some interesting knowledge about his prior races." Ally couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a silent challenge for Starscream to make a remark. "One of his latest encounters involved an Autobot and its human friend within this state. If the Autobots are as short on energon as you say they are, it seems unlikely that they could use the Groundbridge so…whimsically. It gave me an idea to narrow the target field."

"Go on."

Ally gestured to the mountain range of equipment. "My father and I don't have the resources or skill to hack the way Soundwave does. Instead of having him do a global scan, we asked for a focused, controlled search within this state and the edges of the ones bordering it."

"And how is this any different than what we've done before?"

"Before, we were trying to hack into satellites and government databases. That may work well enough for your typical needs, but here on Earth we have something called something called social networking. If Soundwave can try once more to get a name to match any one of the three, then I can use those websites to track them down easily. It can be something as simple as a library card or driver's license."

For once Starscream looked subdued and stayed that way, quietly checking their equipment and Soundwave's work while Ally and her father compiled a list of possible towns. After a full round of the room he spoke up again. "So what you're saying is that we've been searching too broad?"

This time Nathan answered for his daughter. "More or less. In some ways, Earth tech is easier to hack and navigate because of its inferior complexity to Cybertron's. Yet for all the similarities, there are things that you don't know about, or will look over because it seems so small. It didn't even occur to me to use sources such as facebook because it didn't exist when I was young. Technology is evolving rapidly."

"Very well. Let me know if you find a match. I suppose if this works I'll have to—"

"Found one," Ally said, typing as fast as she could to keep up with what Soundwave was sending her. "Library card. Good call, eh?" Nathan and Starscream exchanged a glance before moving over to Ally's computer, Starscream crouching to see the screen. "The name is Jackson Darby. Here's your chance to see what we're talking about Starscream." Ally created a new tab and began searching facebook. The first few tries were fruitless, as were the next couple sites. Ally could feel Starscream's impatience growing behind her when she finally made a match. "So the website was more obscure, but look at this. Name, Jackson Darby. Age, 16. Hometown, Jasper, Nevada. I guess Knock Out was right on both accounts." Ally began searching his page. "Soundwave, if you can send the picture over to me, I'm sure I can find the others easily."

"Jasper, Nevada, hmm?" Nathan said, having gone back to his computer. "Ally, that's a good two hours away from where we live." He met Starscream's inquisitive look calmly. "How do you want to go about this, Starscream? My family is already upset and confused that we had to move so unexpectedly. My business associates accepted my explanations with enthusiasm, provided that I have the time to make good of my word, which was to build up a new company and spread our influences."

"What is your conflict?" the Seeker asked guardedly.

"I didn't move to Nevada simply to find out where the children live. You obviously want us to contact them somehow. Were you intending for us to spy on them, collect data that you can use in the war against the Autobots, or do we go a step further and kidnap them? I made it clear from the beginning that human involvement needed to be limited, and stalking children was not my idea of it."

"They're the enemy dad. I'm not saying we hurt them, but they could be the leverage the ending this war."

"I will not put children's lives at risk," Nathan vowed. "It's bad enough my own daughter is as involved as she is."

"Ah, but wasn't that your idea in the first place, doctor?" Starscream growled. "If I recall, none of us asked for her to be here."

"Well regardless of who asked for what when I was nine, you asked me to handle this mission Starscream, and I did." Ally took a breath. "When I saw those kids, they didn't look like they were any older than me. Jackson's account even says he's a sophomore in high school. If you aren't sure on your course of action, Starscream, let me join that school. I'm not sure how much I can get done when I have to drive two hours there and back, but we can remain passive aggressive until we decide on a course of action. They already know who I am, and that might even be a benefit by this point."

"Ally…" her father weakly protested, while Starscream considered the idea. "Wait, before any of this is weighed, Ally is going to be in Autobot territory. What are the chances of them hurting her?"

"_Agent Fowler, this is Optimus Prime."_ Everyone in the room jumped at the voice, played back by Soundwave. "_It appears we have a delicate situation regarding the Decepticons, one that we would prefer you handle to avoid any…complications. Let me say it requires a human touch. I will go into further detail in person."_

"Prime does have a weakness for you fleshlings," Starscream agreed. "Which may make Ally our best line of defense, as she was in the mine."

"You can't mean…absolutely not! You will not send my daughter into battle."

"But what's the worst they could do if they won't attack me? Hold me prisoner? If they have friends in the government, we have more."

"…would they target Ally if she was accompanied by a bystander?"

"Unlikely."

Nathan took of his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Ally looked away, feeling ashamed. "Let me sleep on it," he finally ordered. "There's a lot to consider, for both my family and the Decepticon cause."

"You have forty-eight hours. Until then, you are both dismissed. Clean all this up first though," the Seeker added, eyeing the mess of cables. The humans picked up their belongings, murmuring thank you's to Soundwave when he followed Starscream out the door.

"Here, dad, I can take these home. You look exhausted."

"You didn't leave with any of this equipment. It will look far less suspicious if I come up from the basement with it." Nathan sighed and massaged his forehead with one hand, using the other to haul the medical bag over his shoulder. "That was some good thinking," he complimented softly, nodding to Breakdown as they left the room. "I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you. I'm sorry for everything we said back in there. It's just…I want this war to be over, so we can start working on the future. The Decepticons are wasting so much time and fuel on it, when they could be working on other things, like restoring their home."

"I know." Nathan wrapped one arm around her small shoulders. "It's a rough time for all of us right now, the Decepticons included. Let's just hope that on top of everything else, you can keep up with your homework. Maybe a two hour drive will give you some time to work on it."

"Are you serious? You're letting me go?"

"You're way sounds like the best, though we'll have to take certain measures for your safety."

Ally hugged him back. "I'll be fine dad," she promised. "Thank you for understanding. Whatever you come up with I'm sure will be fine."

"I'm glad you think so, because Kyle's going to."


End file.
